MXY7 Ohka Model 11 in 1/72 Scale by Sergio Teixeira

Hard to believe that this stunning model of an Ohka piloted flying bomb was created by Sergio Teixeira from the Hasegawa 1/72 kit included in their G4M2 'Betty' bomber kits. Sergio tells the story of this remarkable transformation.

'The kit I used was from the 1997 Hasegawa CP-8 release, which included the mothership, a G4M2E. The kit itself is very basic and has many shortcomings, needing a lot of work to create a better model. Externally I scribed all panels and added every visible detail

'Internally I added the ribs and frames - from the cockpit to the rear fuselage end, scratchbuilt the cockpit, rocket engines and every visible (and invisible) detail. Then, I replaced the original canopy with a vacuform canopy by Falcon.  I painted it in a 'generic' light grey and added a few decals. Finally, I placed it on a scratchbuilt dolly. That model was made in 1999 with the very little information or images available to me  at that time. 

'A couple of years ago, after seeing pictures of a restored Ohka at IWM, I decided to correct and upgrade the model.  I removed and corrected the nose shape which required a lot of sanding and reinforced it internally with putty, adding some weights in the putty to keep the model nose heavy with intent to place the model on its new dolly. I replaced the old cockpit with new scratchbuilt parts, including the stepped firewall and an armour plate.  Then, I made the bulges under the wing roots with Tamiya epoxy putty, scribed some missing panels and added other details. 

'Finally, I replaced the attachment ring and made new balance weights for the ailerons. I painted it using Mr. Aqueous Hobby H314 Blue FS35622 (wings and tail surfaces) and AK RC303 Amber Grey (fuselage and metal parts) as advised in the Ohka Colours file. Decals and stencils were cannibalized from the Brengun Ohka 11. I did very light washes with Tamiya panel line accent color grey and AK paneliner black to improve its realism. The new dolly is from Brengun too, with some modifications.

'In the end I'm simply in love with the results (me too, Ed), it was worth all the effort to modify and correct an already built tiny model. Thank you so much Nick for AoJ blog, which gives me so much information and inspiration!'

Former Ohka model before renovation shown above

Thank you Sergio for kindly sharing these images and details of your renovation of this model to a degree of detail and finish that is awesome.

Image credit: All model photographs © 2025 Sergio Teixeira

Kawasaki Ki-32 'Mary' in 1/32 scale by Harvey Low

Kawasaki's chunky Ki-32 'Mary' light bomber is something of a rarity in modelling and none of the available plastic kits in 1/72 scale have done the type justice. The 1985 Merlin kit for all its crudity managed to capture something of the slab-sided character of the aircraft but was a challenge to build and refine.  Now Harvey Low shares another stunning build in the form of a 1/32 scale 'Mary' from a resin kit. Over to Harvey then:-

'Here is my 1/32 Ki-32 'Mary'. LEM Kits is a scale model company from Kyiv Ukraine. The company makes a variety of less well known large scale aircraft. One of their 2023 releases was the 1/32 Japanese Army Type 98 Kawasaki Ki-32 'Mary'. 

'Large scale 1/32 Japanese bombers are not common!  While there are plenty of 1/32 Japanese Army and Navy models (e.g., Oscar, Nate, Zero, Val), this model is oddly the only Japanese Army bomber in 1/32 that I know of (not counting the old vacuform kits of the Ki-30 Ann and Ki-49 Helen from Sanger).

'Entering service in 1937, the Ki-32 Japanese Army light bomber saw active combat in the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945). Equipping the 3rd, 6th, 10th, 35th, 45th, 65th and 75th Sentai, it also fought the Soviets at the Battle of Nomonhan in 1939. Production ceased in 1940 with 854 being built. The Ki-32 was withdrawn from front-line service after participation in the attack on Hong Kong in December 1941, as more modern Japanese light bombers entered service such as the Ki-48. It was later used as a trainer with some serving in the Manchukuo Air Force to replace the obsolescent Kawasaki Type 88/KDA-2 light bomber. 

'It is noteworthy that there are NO substantive references for this aircraft at all. I could not find any dedicated reference, book or profile – even in Japanese! There are no after-market accessories for this kit at the time of writing either. 

'Ironically the only reference is the original September 1939 manufacturer’s handbook/manual, which  itself is not heavy on detailed photos, but does contain excellent designer diagrams of the interior details! It is actually available free for download through the NDL (National Diet Library) Digital Library.  The NDL Digital Collections enable users to search and view a variety of resources, collected and stored by the National Diet Library Digital Collection of Japan. 

'For detailed building and painting notes for this model, please see the Meng Air Modeller # 116 (Oct/Nov 2024 issue).' 

Harvey Low 

With special thanks to Harvey for sharing these images of his superbly realised model. It's a favourite type and I wish there was an accurate mainstream 1/72 or 1/48 scale kit. More on Ki-32 kits in due course.

On the model the single forward firing machine gun is shown fitted in the port wing just outboard of the undercarriage. Older references such as the Shuppan-Kyodo Encyclopedia of Japanese Aircraft 1900-1945 and Japanese Aircraft of the Pacific War by Réne J Francillon (Putnam) show or describe it fitted in the port side of the cowling. Strangely the handbook/manual doesn't seem to show it all. There is no indication of it on the instrument panel layout.  

The Ki-32 had an internal bomb bay and the usual ordinance load was 300kg, A maximum of 450 kg could be carried if fuel was reduced. Bombs could not be released from the bomb bay in a dive and for diving attacks bombs were carried beneath the wings. The Ki-32 aircraft making diving attacks on Kai Tak airfield and other installations at Hong Kong in December 1941 were described as 'Stukas' by witnesses on the ground. 

The design originally called for a retractable undercarriage but wind tunnel testing demonstrated no improvement over a fixed undercarriage, whereas the latter offered advantages in terms of ease of maintenance and field serviceability.  Ichiro Hasegawa described the type as having endless engine problems warranting cancellation but the escalation of the Sino-Japanese conflict saw it go into production. Ground crew referred to the engine troubles of the 'BMW' from the origin of the Ha-92 Otsu engine and described alarming issues such as cracks in the crankcase and rods protruding through the engine cover. It was considered underpowered and struggled in every full load take off trailing a long  flame which scared spectators. However, it was considered to be more manoeuvrable than the contemporary Mitsubishi Type 97 Ki-30 'Ann' and was a faster aircraft than the RAF's comparable Fairey Battle.

First flown in March 1937 the first unit to receive the type was the 9th Hiko Daitai in 1938, followed by the 7th and 5th Hiko Daitai. The Ki-32 was deployed to support ground operations against the Wuchang-Hankow area of China during 1938. Hiko Dai 16 Sentai flew the type during the 1939 Nomonhan Incident and in the campaign over Bataan in the Philippines during April 1942. Production from July 1938 to the spring of 1940 totalled 800 aircraft, averaging 50 per month which was considered remarkably high for the time. 

The external finish was typical of Kawasaki, refined and with no trace of rivets. The tri-colour camouflage scheme associated with the Sino-Japanese conflict was described as tan, dull brown and dark green but artist Shigeo Koike profiled a Hiko Dai 3 Sentai 'Mary' with dark green, mid-green and khaki colours. The 3rd Sentai was one of the oldest JAAF units, established in 1918 as the 3rd Hiko Daitai and subsequently as the 3rd Hiko Rentai. It was re-designated as 3rd Sentai in August 1938 with its main operating field at Yokaichi in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. Some suggest that the dark green was in fact a dark blue and Ichiro Hasegawa reported a change of camouflage colouring for the Ki-32.

Image Credits: All model photos © 2025 Harvey Low 

1/144 Scale Hayabusa I by Mark Smith

The second 1/144 scale build by Aviation of Japan Texas correspondent Mark Smith features the exquisite Sweet Nakajima Ki-43-I Hayabusa. Such a pity that neither the Hasegawa 1/48 scale or Fujimi 1/72 scale Ki-43-I Oscars have the fuselage lines of the smaller kit and the special magazine issue Fine Molds example in 1/72 scale is not readily available. The cowling and interior gubbins would be impressive on a 1/72 scale kit and is superior to the Fujimi kit in that scale. Over to Mark then:-

'Probably no Japanese WWII aircraft offers a greater variety of markings than Nakajima’s Ki-43 Hayabusa.  Its shape has often proved challenging for model companies to capture.  Sweet’s 1/144 Ki-43-I version, a double kit which debuted in 2021, shows remarkable fidelity in its efforts to replicate small but telling surface details, and care about those elusive contours.  Kudos to Sweet founder and mold-maker Mr Sugita Tatoru, whose company has always managed to capture the essence of his subjects despite the demanding scale. I’ll go out on a limb and say that if you opened this one and decided to, what the heck, just put it together and paint it, it would delight you. And in a matter of hours.  

'For anyone who’s already built one or more Sweet Hayabusa, or plans to soon, please send an image or images of your finished models to Nick for all to enjoy here. There are already several boxings of the kit which have been issued with a variety of markings and Sweet’s usual excellent decals by Cartograf. So consider taking a break from that larger project, and I look forward to seeing your builds on the blog for a ‘Hayabusa Spring’ (and Summer! Ed). 

'This model fits so well that to build it hardly needs cement. You might lose a tiny part or two along the way, but if so, there’s another kit in the box. 

'Building this one offered the chance to avoid breaking out the airbrush at all, by using a spray bomb of Tamiya AS-12 Natural Metal, and hand painting the green mottle with Tamiya XF-13 ‘J.A. Green’. I had some MYK 1/144 decals squirreled away that had always appealed to me.  They were intended for a later model Ki-43-II from 23rd Hiko-Sentai, but I decided to use them anyway, even though I have no evidence that this unit ever had any of the earlier Hayabusa variant on strength.  I didn’t see a need to add anything to the model.  The most difficult part for me was painting the canopy framing, due to the  subtle fidelity of the moulding.      

'Using plenty of magnification I found I could apply the tiny green blotches to my satisfaction for a brief period and then…I couldn’t.  So I did them in four or five different sessions.  Nevertheless, it was nice to finish something quickly and to recapture some of the enjoyment I remembered from the days when I didn’t own an airbrush or even know that I needed one.   

'And here’s hoping to see later versions of Peregrine Falcon from Sweet soon.' (Yes please! Ed.)  

Beautiful! 

With special thanks to Mark for sharing these images and details of his build of this tiny but impressive model. 

Image credits: All photos © 2025 Mark Smith      

Flying Tiger P-40E in 1/48 scale by Igor Kochan

Another exquisite RCoAF model by Igor Kochan, this time a splendid shark-mouthed P-40E in American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) markings. Over to Igor then:

'I was very pleased that my RoCAF aircraft models, the P-47 and P-51, received positive feedback and interest. So, I am submitting my latest completed model.

'This is the brand-new Curtiss P-40E kit from Eduard. The model is, in one word, excellent - accurate in shape and highly detailed. I only added the landing gear brake lines and drilled out the exhausts. The markings came from a DK Decals (Czech Republic) sheet. Everything else necessary was included in the Royal Class box. For camouflage, I used Mr. Paint colors, AK Interactive markers and weathering pencils.

'The photographs were taken by my modelling buddy and mentor Miloslav Hrabaň.

'About the original aircraft.

'I decided to build one of the 50 P-40E aircraft delivered to the American Volunteer Group (AVG) between April and June 1942 as replacements for the P-40B/Cs destroyed in combat in China. The Curtis P-40E with the fuselage number 106 was piloted by John E. Petach, who was originally from Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He was the son of Slovak immigrants, graduated college with a degree in chemistry and became a US Navy pilot. Later he joined the AVG and was considered one of its esteemed pilots. On 23 January 1942, among other achievements, he shot down three Japanese bombers.

'After the AVG was disbanded on July 4, 1942, John Petach was already packed and ready to leave when he was asked to stay and train pilots for the newly formed 23rd Fighter Group. This unit, commanded by Robert L. Scott, adopted aerial combat tactics developed by Claire Chennault.

'On 10 July he volunteered for a bombing attack on Japanese gunboats. Scott himself told him he did not have to go since he was assigned as a flight instructor, but Petach insisted and flew the mission. It was his last sortie. According to another pilot in the formation, John’s bomb hit one of the gunboats, but at the same moment, his P-40 exploded, probably hit by return fire from the ships. 

'Shortly before this, John E. Petach had married one of the AVG nurses, Emma Jane 'Red' Foster. He may have achieved an ace status which still remains unconfirmed.'

With special thanks to Igor for sharing images of his beautifully crafted and presented model, to Miloslav for taking the photographs and to Marian Holly for facilitating the sharing. The pilot has a special meaning for Igor and Marian as both were born and raised in Slovakia. 

Image credit: All model photos © 2025 Igor Kochan and Miloslav Hrabaň

Ki-55 in 1/48 Scale by Harvey Low

Another Harvey Low beauty, this time a 1/48 scale Tachikawa Ki-55. It is surprising that there is still no mainstream, injection moulded kit of 'Ida' in this scale, especially given the existence of a surviving museum example in Thailand  The Ki-36/55 had an extensive operational history as both an army co-operation aircraft, convoy escorter and advanced trainer. Its service in foreign air arms - China, Thailand, France and Indonesia - offers the potential for unusual schemes and markings. Therefore it would seem to be an ideal choice of subject for Fine Molds, if not Tamiya, but perhaps it does not reach the popularity bar in Japan?

Over to Harvey then:- 

'The Ki-55 was a trainer version of the Ki-36 reconnaissance aircraft, first flown as a prototype in September 1939. It was of all-metal structure, covered by a mix of light alloy and fabric control surfaces, and powered by a 336kW Hitachi Ha-13 radial engine. It was designated as the Army Type 99 Advanced Trainer. It introduced the more powerful Hitachi Ha-13a engine in later variants. When construction ended in January 1944, a total of 1,334 had been built by Tachikawa and Kawasaki. 

'This model is my 1/48 scratch-built Ki-55 'Ida'. It is scratch-built because it is based 'loosely' on the very old 1980's Gull Model vacuform kit, where I had to re-vacuform the rear fuselage and some parts of the wings due to damage to the plastic over the years. I created new vacuform canopies made from basswood molds. 

'The cockpit was entirely scratch-built thanks to my friend Kittichart Boonyapakdi who kindly took detailed interior and exterior photos of the surviving Ki-55 at the Royal Thai Air Museum (some included here). 

The model also has scratch-built flap detail, as well as over a 1000 raised rivets using Micro-Mark rivet decals, as the real aircraft had raised rivets throughout. 

'All markings were hand applied by airbrush using masks that I made on my computer, cut through my Cameo Vinyl Cutting Printer. The aircraft is based on a photo of one of the 25th Kyoiku Hikotai in Manchuria in 1944 (below).'

From Koku Fan Illustrated No.42

Harvey Low

With special thanks to Harvey for sharing these images of his superb model. More delights at Harvey's own Facebook page. 

Gull Models 1/48 Ki-36 Vacform

Some further details about 25 Kyoiku Hikotai (教育 飛行隊 - Training Air Unit). It was established in March 1944 to train officer fighter pilots in Manchuria. operating both Mansyu Ki-79 Type 2 Advanced Trainers and the Ki-55 as part of the 101st Air Training Brigade at Kungchuling which also had under command 23, 24, 26 and 27 Kyoiku Hikotai. In November 1944 it was demobilised and possibly incorporated into 5 Kyoiku Hikotai mobilised at the end of December 1944. By July 1945 101 Air Training Brigade had been expanded to include 4, 13 and 22 Advanced Air Training Units, together with 23, 24, 26 and 42 Kyoiku Hikotai, 5 Kyoiku Hikotai was a separate entity with HQ at Chinchow overseeing four Hikotai training camps at Fuhsin-Chinhai, Hsingcheng-Suichung, Koupantzu-Hsinlitun and Kaiyuan-Chuankou. Not to be confused with 25 Dokuritsu Hiko Chutai which was a Manchurian based Ki-45 Toryu air defence unit. When Manchuria was invaded by the Soviet Union some of the training units were deployed on ground attack sorties against the advancing columns. 

Image credit: All model photos © 2005 Harvey Low; Cockpit photos © Kittichart Boonyapakdi vua Harvey Low; Aircraft photo © 1988 Bunrindo Co., in Koku Fan Illustrated No.42 'Japanese Imperial Army & Navy Aircraft Color, Marking' via Harvey Low.'; Gull Models box art Shigeo Koike via Gull Models